From Ice Age through the Stone Age to the Modern Age, pregnancy and childbirth have been surrounded by scary old wives tales, myths and superstition. Prepare yourself for a truckload of advice and warnings that will pour in once you announce that the stork has decided to pay a visit, but not all of it is true.

Eating for two doesn’t translate to eating twice as much food. Pregnancy does not mean that it’s now okay to eat the large hot fudge smothered ice cream with dark chocolate brownies. It is about having a well-balanced diet that provides the essential nutrients that your baby needs for its growth and development. According to experts, a pregnant woman needs no more than 300 extra calories a day.

Don’t expect the miracle words “bed rest through pregnancy”. Bed rest isn’t the miracle pill for preventing complications related to pregnancy. In most high risk pregnancies, it is advised as a precautionary measure. In my case, I had to be active to keep my blood sugar levels under control. To keep both mind and body positive and energised, I stayed active throughout my pregnancy.

Then there are the cravings. Those seemingly weird midnight cravings never happened to me. I suffered from sniff-dog syndrome with a heightened sense of smell that made me detest my favourite plate of biryani. The good news is that if you are craving for chicken biryani and mango mousse go for it, just watch your portion sizes. After all, no one will dare to comment on a pregnant woman’s craving.

Lustrous hair and glowing skin shows that pregnancy is the time to glow! I did have that glossy rosy glow moments with the increased blood flow. With the glow, along came skin tags, acne and dark pigmentation. But, why moan over a few less pleasant side effects when we could focus the positives? You are part of nature’s most amazing journey.

The most beautiful part of pregnancy is that you are part of the miracle of life. It could be the toughest job, but it is also the most enriching and rewarding one with a lifetime supply of warm hugs, wet mushy kisses and heart melting moments.

- The reader is a banker based in Dubai.